(Newser)
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Apparently CIA operatives don't have enough on their plates fighting two wars and al Qaeda: Many operatives moonlight as consultants to financial firms and hedge funds, Eamon Javers writes in a book excerpt on Politico. Moonlighting in the private sector is generally allowed for federal employees if they follow strict guidelines; in the case of CIA agents, it's seen to counteract the problem of brain-drain to higher-paying private sector jobs.

CIA agents have especially strong ties to one consulting company, Boston-based Business Intelligence Advisors. BIA specializes in "tactical behavioral assessment," a sort of "human lie detector" analysis that seeks to detect whether people are lying without using a polygraph. The firm trains clients to conduct TBA themselves—or does it for them for a fee, often on quarterly corporate-earnings calls.

Oh, right. I also forgot to mention that Bush plowed our country into the worst recession in 70 years. That really should be pointed out on a regular basis, just so people don't forget.

YetAnotherCollegeKid

Feb 1, 2010 8:58 AM CST

"The dishonesty and lies perpetrated on the American people by this president and the democrat party is truely astonding as well as unprecdented in American history." I would like to direct your attention back to the faraway time of the Bush administration. In this terrible era, virtually a second Dark Ages, religious intolerance ran rampant, torture was openly practiced, and wars based on lies were launched every few years. The citizens cowered in fear, never knowing when they, too, might be taken from their homes to the terrifying prison known only as Gitmo. The world turned it's back on this demented America, and the tyrant in charge laughed at them with a disturbing sort of 'heh, heh, heh' sound. I would argue that when it comes to dishonesty and lies in American history, this era kind of has a monopoly.

stormkite

Feb 1, 2010 5:35 AM CST

Absolutely. Any security expert will tell you that the biggest risk any company, country, or entity faces is having people working for them who aren't actually working for them. This is simply BEGGING for problems.